Belagavi: Kannada organisations here took strong exception to the review meeting conducted by Kannada and culture minister Jayamala , though the government had announced three-day mourning, following the demise of Union chemicals and fertilisers minister H N Ananth Kumar Minister Jayamala held a review meeting of the department at the DC’s Office hall, as per schedule, on Tuesday. Ashok Chandaragi, president of Kannada Sanghatanegala Kriya Samiti, criticised the minister for holding the meeting. “This minister doesn’t know culture,” he said.In a release, Chandaragi said Ananth Kumar had always fought for Karnataka and the Kannada language at the Centre. The minister was supposed to participate in the funeral in Bengaluru, and cancel all scheduled programmes like CM HD Kumaraswamy, deputy CM G Parameshwara and former CM Siddaramaiah. The chief minister should seek a clarification from this minister for her behaviour, he said.Deputy commissioner SB Bommanhalli clarified that state mourning applies only to the government’s public programmes. He told TOI that holding review meetings is legally permissible on a day of mourning, so there was no lapse on the part of minister Jayamala.During the review meeting, Jayamala instructed ZP CEO R Ramachandran to send a proposal for financial approval to provide eggs and milk for 1,528 anganwadi students suffering from malnutrition.Speaking to the media over the Tipu controversy, Jayamala asked, “Can we celebrate Tipu Sultan Jayanti in other states instead of Karnataka? We have grown up reading about the brave life of Tipu. BJP is opposing the event for political reasons.”She also expressed happiness over the Supreme Court verdict on Sabarimala temple. “I fought for seven years for justice. Finally, justice prevailed,” she said.

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